Princeton and Hertford College at the University of Oxford have an agreement that reserves places each year at Hertford College for Princeton undergraduates for the full academic year or spring semester (Hilary and Trinity terms). Tutorials are available in most subjects in the humanities and social sciences.

The University

Hertford College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, lies at the very center of Oxford, on one of its most beautiful streets. The college is immediately opposite the main library of the university, the Bodleian, and within a short walk of all other principal libraries and laboratories of the university. Hertford has a deserved reputation for friendliness and informality, while expecting and maintaining high academic standards. There are 375 undergraduates and 150 graduate students at Hertford.

The University of Oxford, established in the 12th century, is composed of 39 independent, self-contained, self-governing colleges and six Permanent Private Halls, founded at different times in the past 800 years. Of the 39 colleges, 30 admit students for undergraduate degrees. Each of these colleges and halls selects its own students, houses them for at least the first year, provides their meals, meeting rooms (called common rooms), libraries, sports and social facilities, and assumes responsibility, primarily through the tutorial system, for their academic studies. The university, on the other hand, provides the laboratories, the central lecture halls, the libraries and museums, prescribes courses and syllabi, and is in charge of university examinations and awarding degrees.

The Setting

The City of Oxford is a blend of businesses and colleges (the latter representing many architectural periods) with a population of 160,000. Along with high tech industries and several publishing houses, Oxford is home to a large variety of shops, including large department stores and small shops, and many excellent bookstores. The city provides ample opportunity for sightseeing, visiting museums, and attending theater and musical performances

Academics

Courses:

The normal course load consists of 4 tutorials for the spring term and 6 for the academic year. Please visit the University of Oxford website for the most accurate information about courses.

Tutorials, which normally last one hour, are given each week to students either individually or in pairs. They are supplemented by classes and seminars, sometimes organized by college tutors and sometimes by the university, for all colleges. Lectures are organized by the university. College tutors advise their students about attending lectures, participating in laboratory and field work, and how to approach their studies. Attendance at lectures is not compulsory, but undergraduates may spend on average between six and ten hours a week attending lectures. Students may attend lectures in subjects other than those they are studying.

The character of tutorials will vary from subject to subject. Usually undergraduates present an essay or a solution to a set of problems, which they discuss with their tutor. Oxford undergraduates are encouraged to think independently and creatively, to learn to work quickly and efficiently, and to express themselves concisely and accurately. These are skills which they will find valuable in later life. Attendance at tutorials during the term is obligatory. Proper preparation for each tutorial is required. For a list of types of tutorials offered, please see here.

Eligibility:

Successful applicants to Hertford College should have a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher. For Princeton approval, participants must have at least a 3.0/ B average for the fall and spring semesters prior to the semester of study abroad.

Grading and Credits:

For information regarding credits, grading, and other academic policies, read the Academic Policies on the Study Abroad website.

At the end of the semester abroad, students will be issued an official transcript from Hertford College, which will be reviewed by the Office of International Programs for Princeton credit. Students must earn the equivalent of a C or above in courses to receive Princeton University credit. Credit is not given for courses taken on a pass/fail basis. Students may use courses taken abroad to fulfill departmental requirements and up to two general education requirements, provided each is in a different area.The official transcript from Oxford becomes a part of the returning student's permanent file. A copy of the transcript will be sent to the student's academic department at Princeton. Courses (but not grades) from the semester abroad will appear on the Princeton transcript. Grades for the Policy Task Force, the Junior Independent Work in the Woodrow Wilson School, are recorded on the Princeton transcript.

Academic Calendar

For information about Oxford's academic calendar and exact program dates, review the Oxford Dates of Term. Note that the Oxford academic year consists of three terms: Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity. Full year program participants complete all three terms. Spring semester participants must complete both the Hilary and Trinity terms.

Residency Requirement

Visiting students at Oxford have almost all the same rights and responsibilities as matriculated (i.e. regular, full-time) undergraduate Oxford students. One essential responsibility is the residency requirement, which mandates that students remain in Oxford for the duration of each academic term. Because American students occasionally have summer jobs or internships elsewhere, Worcester is able to release a visiting student from the residency requirement for Eighth Week of Trinity Term only. This release is contingent on written permission from the student’s tutors and from Princeton’s Study Abroad Office.

Housing

Princeton students will be housed in the Graduate Center at Folly Bridge, a ten-minute walk from the main site of the college on Catte Street. First-year Oxford students have priority for housing on the main college site. In the second and third years, many Oxford students live in Abingdon House or Warnock House, undergraduate residential buildings near the Graduate Center, where the Princeton students will reside.

Each Princeton student will have a single room with a private bathroom. Each room has Internet and telephone connections. A meal card that covers one meal per day in the dining hall is provided. Students can either purchase additional meals in the dining hall or prepare meals in one of the communal kitchens in the dormitory. The dormitory provides laundry facilities and a computer room with a printer.

Princeton students do not have a right to accommodation during vacations.

Student Life

There are over 200 clubs and societies to explore at Oxford. During Noughth Week, at the "Freshers' Fair" (Oxford's equivalent of the Student Activities Fair during Princeton's Freshman Orientation), there will be an opportunity to learn about a wide array of clubs, sports, music and drama societies, and other student-run activities. At Hertford, there is a Junior Common Room, to which all undergraduates belong. It provides a place to relax with magazines and newspapers and functions much like the Undergraduate Student Government in representing students' opinions and organizing a range of social events. Hertford is a musically active college with a serious college orchestra and choir.

Money Matters

Students who receive financial aid at Princeton continue to receive Princeton financial aid for the approved costs of study abroad programs during the academic year. For detailed information about financial aid, program fees, and billing for study abroad, please visit the Money Matters section of the Study Abroad website.

Passport and Visa

Students are responsible for ensuring that their passports are valid for their entire stay in the United Kingdom. U.S. passport fees are $110 (application fee) plus a $25 execution fee. Fees are $110 to renew your passport. For further information on renewing or obtaining a passport, please consult the U.S. Department of State passport website.

If you are studying in the UK for six months or less and do not plan to intern/work/volunteer while you are there, then you can enter as a student visitor. Non-visa nationals (which include U.S. citizens) do not need to apply for student visitor clearance before arriving in the U.K. They do, however, need to bring specific documents to show the entry clearance officer upon arrival. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you should check the list of visa nationals on the UKBA website to see if you need to apply for student visitor clearance ahead of time. If you enter as a student visitor, you must leave at the end of six months.

If you are studying in the UK for more than six months or want to have the option to intern/work/ volunteer while you are there, then you need to get a Tier 4 Student Visa. This visa is complicated, and you will need to start the process six-eight weeks before you plan to leave for the UK. If applying from the U.S., you should first complete the visa application form online, make your payment, and then use the online booking system to schedule a convenient location and time to submit your biometric data. You will visit one of the 129 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Centers, where they will scan your fingertips and take a digital photo. Once you have submitted your biometric data, you will send in your passport and documents by mail.

Application Process

As part of the application process, students designate the tutorials (two for each eight-week term) that they wish to take while at Oxford. Applicants should be sure to plan their tutorials with the help of the appropriate departmental representative at Princeton. Acceptance at Hertford will be contingent upon finding tutors in the areas listed on the application.

Please note that applications for Oxford are due in the January or February prior to the academic year of the program. For this reason, be sure to plan ahead, and be prepared to apply up to a year in advance of the program start.

In order to apply, the appropriate study abroad adviser from Princeton must review your qualifications and nominate you for the program.

Make an appointment to see a study abroad adviser to discuss your interest in Hertford College.

Click "apply now" here on the GPS brochure to begin an application.

Complete the study abroad application items in GPS.

A complete application consists of the following:

Hertford College application form

Personal statement about your academic interests

Two letters of recommendations from Princeton faculty who have taught you

Official Princeton transcript (paper copy sent directly to OIP)

Two samples of work in the subject area that you wish to study at Oxford.

Princeton will forward all acceptable applications to Hertford College and they will make the final admission decisions.

In addition to a program application, students must also complete the Princeton Course approval form. This form is reviewed by the Committee on Examinations and Standing, which grants final approval to participate in the program. Students who meet the university eligibility requirements to study abroad and who have the support of their department are normally approved by the Committee.